Impossible Journey: Danger, Death, and Deceit on the Lewis & Clark Expedition±

The Louisiana Purchase in 1803 expanded the amount of territory held by the United States. President Thomas Jefferson enlisted Meriwether Lewis and William Clark to explore the vast territory, hoping to find a Northwest Passage to the Pacific Ocean. The trek would begin in 1804 and would last over two years. Nathan Luck is a young man from Connecticut who works for a local newspaper when he joins the band of intrepid explorers and keeps a record of the happenings of the voyage.

The band of men set off from Cahokia, Illinois in May 1804. The men who have assembled behind Captains Lewis and Clark are primarily military men, with the exception of a few interpreters and York, the Clark Family’s slave. The men possess many supplies for the long trip ahead, but already there is concern about weapons being tampered with. The rumor of a malcontent disrupting the journey has Luck and a few others on edge, but they proceed nonetheless. The mission is vital to the nascent country and the rewards for success are equally so.

As the boats hit the river and the often choppy waters wreak havoc, the men and woman (Sacagawea) quickly learn the dangers inherent in their odyssey. Luck and a majority of the men possess great faith in the dual leadership of Lewis and Clark. Any infractions by the men are swiftly punished with military-style justice. The trip proceeds gradually westward, the tribes encountered going from friendly to hostile, the food becoming scarce, and the conditions harsher. The blaggard’s actions only escalate and the mission’s success becomes less and less certain. The iron will of the men to continue despite setbacks emerges as a key factor in fulfilling the mission’s objectives.

Impossible Journey represents the best of Historical Fiction as author Paul Martin goes into an in-depth detailing of the exploratory trip into the great unknown. A tour of unexplored regions is often fraught with perils from raging waters, and disease-carrying insects to hostile indigenous tribes and saboteurs from the inside. Luck’s narration is near perfect, as his curiosity is appreciable along with his fears. Luck serves as a moral compass to a certain extent, abhorring certain activities he witnesses along the way. The occasional appearance of the unknown but vindictive vandal among the group’s ranks brings great mystery to an already gripping narrative. Martin combines an appreciation of history along with mystery with his captivating novel. This is a book not to be missed.